Page 101 of Recon Rendezvous

My heart is ready to pound right out of my chest. I swear, one of my ribs is already cracked. But it's all worth it for the look on her face.

My love, the beautiful London Cameron.

As London looks around, her hands cover her nose and mouth, but it’s the glow in her eyes that tells me I’ve done something right—that I’m not the only one feeling this gravitational pull drawing us together. She's right here with me.

“Xander, what’s going on?” she whispers.

I hold out my hand. “Come here, cakes.”

She makes her way to me slowly, her eyes flitting away and back to me as she scans the different bouquets of flowers and petals around the room.

Stopping a few feet away, my body aches to have her in my arms, but her gaze is riveted on the pink peonies covering the coffee table, the cherry blossoms in the chair, then her eyes flit to purple chrysanthemums behind the couch, before she zeroes in on the yellow Japanese roses running the length of the glass wall. Red Poppy. Orange Tulips. White Dahlias. They’re all here.

“These are the flowers that were at Ty and Sasha’s.”

I chuckle softly. “So, you did notice the flowers I sent you each week?”

She gapes, spinning to look around again. “You sent these? I thought Sasha just had a thing for flowers and she would change them out weekly. Oh my god! I loved every arrangement.”

Her words make me smile. “I sent them each week in hopes I would figure out what your favorite flower was.”

She tilts her hands, watching me. “Why didn't you just ask?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

A soft smile spreads across those luscious lips as she shakes her head, and my heart expands as I expel a breath.

“Let me tell you a little story. There once was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold encased in a block of ice.”

She throws her head back with a laugh and finally takes the last few steps and accepts my outstretched hand.

“Go on, tell me about this beautiful woman.” Those eyes sparkle in delight.

I smirk. “Did I say she was beautiful? I meant gorgeous. Stunning. Breathtaking. Someone I could never take my eyes off when she graced me with her presence. And I search for her constantly when she’s not around. She commands my attention without having to say a word. I thought it was her eyes at first. They enchant me. And then it was her lips. I would have the dirtiest dreams about them wrapped around me. But what really attracted me was her heart and soul. Both so pure. But, unfortunately, she’d been hurt in the past. Never loved and cherished like she should have been. How she always deserved.”

Those enchanting eyes shimmer, and the first tear falls, and I kiss it away before clearing my throat and continuing.

“The fated night we met, the beautiful woman, my shining star, ran away, disappearing at the stroke of midnight, even after a fantastic fuck in the private quarters. I discreetly hunted high and low for that striking woman and in the end when I couldn't locate her, I decided to stalk her online.”

Another laugh bursts from her, and I feel like I can breathe a little easier as her eyes lock with mine.

“But my babycakes rarely posted pictures of herself. She posted pictures of her work. Of the places she’d been. But sherarely posted pictures of things she liked. Like her favorite flower. Her favorite book. Movie. Candy. Even color. But I knew I wanted to know those things. I wanted to know her. And when she sauntered back into my life, I knew there was nothing I wouldn't do to answer every question I had about her. So, with the help of The Council—”

“The Council?”

“Yeah, I'll get to that later. I’d already started my recon to get my questions answered. First up were the flowers. I sent her flowers every week in hopes that she'd love at least one enough to post a picture of it or at the very least mention it to the girls, and then I’d have one thing I could offer her that I knew she loved. But in all those weeks, she never posted a picture or even talked about them. But I knew I couldn't give up, because…”

I take a deep breath and cup her lovely face in my hands and my chest constricts with what I see shining back.

“London Cameron, I love you. I am in love with you. And I—”

London’s tears spill over before she pulls away and a peal of laughter bursts from her. Not just laughter, she fuckingguffaws, bent over and everything as she struggles to catch her breath, while I stand there like an asshole.

I wait and wait and wait, and as she laughs, I almost want to join in because her laugh is so contagious, but I'm confused as fuck and my heart has fallen to my knees.

“London.” My voice cracks on the word. “I'm sorry. I didn't think me being in love with you would be funny, I was hoping you felt the same, and you know, you'd say it back.”

She finally pulls it together, sucking in a deep breath before a smile splits her face. “Seriously? You tell me you love me now?!”

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